India's gig economy is experiencing a significant surge, according to the Economic Survey 2026, which was tabled in Parliament on Thursday, January 29, 2026. The survey highlights the evolving landscape of the Indian workforce, with gig jobs set to constitute a substantial 6.7% of India’s non-agricultural workforce by 2029-30. This represents a notable increase from the current level, where gig workers account for over 2% of the total workforce.
The gig economy has expanded from 7.7 million workers in fiscal year 2021 to 12 million in fiscal year 2025, marking a 55% increase in the last four years. This growth is attributed to increased smartphone penetration, which now includes over 80 crore users, and the surge in UPI transactions, which tallies 15 billion per month. The Economic Survey 2026 underscored the need to reshape the gig economy, acknowledging the expanding workforce and the challenges it faces. The goal should be to ensure workers have real choice rather than being pushed into gig work due to factors like weak demand, skill mismatches or lack of a safety net.
E-commerce and logistics sectors remain the primary employers within the gig economy, engaging approximately 3.7 million and 1.5 million workers, respectively. The survey also points to a distinct skill-based segmentation within the gig sector. By 2030, it is estimated that high-skilled workers will comprise 27.5% of the gig workforce, while low-skilled workers will account for around 33.8%.
Despite the booming gig economy, the Economic Survey 2026 has flagged several persistent issues. Income volatility remains a significant challenge, hindering gig workers' access to credit and financial inclusion. A considerable percentage of gig workers, approximately 40%, earn below ₹15,000 per month. Furthermore, many gig workers have "thin file" credit histories, making them financially invisible to lenders. The Economic Survey highlights concerns about algorithmic control, where platform algorithms dictate work allocation, performance monitoring, wages, and supply-demand matching, potentially leading to biases and burnout.
The Economic Survey 2026 suggests that the new labour codes represent a crucial step towards regularizing gig workers and providing them with support. These codes formally recognize gig and platform workers, expanding social security, welfare funds and benefit portability. The survey emphasizes that policies should aim to reshape employment terms, empowering workers to exercise genuine choice rather than being compelled into gig work due to weak demand, skill mismatches, or the absence of a safety net. The Economic Survey also highlighted the role of the e-Shram portal in bridging informal and formal employment, noting that over 31 crore unorganized workers had been registered as of January 2026. Each registrant is assigned a universal account number to ensure portability of benefits across jobs and locations.
Looking ahead, the Economic Survey 2026 emphasizes that addressing the challenges within the gig economy is crucial for ensuring long-term, equitable growth, as its impact on employment and economic growth becomes increasingly evident.
